The Albanese government has awarded $9 million to mining electrification company BluVein to develop and trial a first-of-its-kind charger for heavy electric haul trucks, aiming to cut diesel use in Australia’s mining sector.
Funded through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Powering the Regions Fund—Industrial Transformation Stream, the project will be tested at Heidelberg’s Wolffdene quarry in Queensland.
BluVein’s “hammer and rail” system delivers high-capacity power to trucks while they are in motion, removing the need to leave worksites for refuelling.
The initial trial will focus on a one-megawatt charger for underground vehicles before scaling to an eight-megawatt version for surface trucks weighing over 240 tonnes.
Cutting Emissions and Fuel Costs
Heavy mining vehicles burn billions of litres of diesel annually, generating substantial emissions and fuel costs.Moving to electric haulage promises cleaner, quieter, and cheaper operations, while maximising time spent hauling.
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson said homegrown innovation could “secure a future for Australian industries, while providing a pathway to net zero.”
He noted more mine sites were installing onsite solar, wind, and large-scale batteries, with electric fleets the “next opportunity to decarbonise this hard-to-abate sector.”
Weighing the Environmental Cost of EV Mining
The BluVein trial comes as 2024 research warns that while EVs help decarbonise transport, they are mineral-intensive, with batteries requiring large amounts of lithium, cobalt, and nickel.A report from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, in collaboration with Earthworks, urges measures to reduce the environmental and social toll of mining for battery materials.
Lead researcher Elsa Dominish said the fastest emission cuts could come from reducing reliance on private vehicles through public and active transport, which uses fewer minerals and delivers broader social benefits.
The report outlines five pathways, including smaller EVs, battery reuse, improved recycling, and responsible mineral sourcing that respects human rights and environmental standards.
Earthworks Mining Program Director Payal Sampat said the transition must be “socially just,” ensuring low-emission transport benefits are shared without burdening vulnerable communities.
